NICE PUTT! Disc golf isn't a new recreational activity and sport, but it is gaining popularity.

The essence of disc golf is right there in the name: It’s golf, but with a Frisbee!

Disc golf is a sport on the rise, garnering attention for its accessibility of play for all ages, variety of difficulty, ease of community connection, and its unintentional environmental focus.

It’s a game that requires only a disc to play, with players “teeing” off at a distance to the end goal basket, reminiscent of features of golf. However, much like any sport, the more you get into it, the more there is to learn. Players can quickly grow to understand how their wrist affects the angle of the disc thrown, or how wind can affect trajectory, or how different discs glide, or how to curve around a tree in the way of the end basket. It’s a balancing act of throwing a disc and strategizing around the course at hand.

And, luckily for players of the Chippewa Valley, our community has disc golf courses for any skill level. There's even a local group dedicated to the growing sport – the Chippewa Valley Disc Golf Organization (CVDGO) – with 2,000 members.

“Eau Claire has a long history with the sport,” stated Brandon Noskoviak, an avid player, tournament host, and member of CVDGO. One of the first disc golf courses in Wisconsin is located at Mt. Simon Park, where it was installed in 1988 by local Tom Field.

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Mt. Simon Park is the best beginner nine-hole course in the area. It’s free and easy to play, but tricky to master.

BRANDON NOSKOVIAK

eau claire disc golf enthusiast

According to udisc.com, a popular website for avid disc golfers to find their perfect course, Eau Claire is the top city in the state for its variety of disc golf courses, leading Milwaukee, Madison, Superior, and Green Bay. Adding in surrounding towns, the Chippewa Valley hosts around 25 total disc golf courses.

“Mt. Simon Park is the best beginner nine-hole course in the area,” Noskoviak said. “It’s free and easy to play, but tricky to master. The most challenging course is also our best to hike … at Tower Ridge Recreation Area.” Tower Ridge hosts 36 holes, each nestled into the wooded hills, making for a challenging yet stunning play.

Photo by Keith Poznikowich

“A great middle ground between those two would be Leinenkugel’s Disc Golf course just north of town, which has a six-hole beginner course and an 18-hole, tournament-grade course," he said.

Tournaments in the area can be hosted for any skill level, and even by those involved in the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA), of which many local players have been signed to as pro disc golfers. But others’ mastery shouldn’t stop you from joining in! Noskoviak has hosted glow-in-the-dark disc golf or putter-only rounds to spice up the game on a community level.

Plus, there are a lot more opportunities for those curious about the game and avid players. “There is a women’s disc golf league, charity events, a winter putting league, a random doubles league, and a couple of singles leagues,” all of which make disc golf available year-round, Noskoviak stated. Winter putting league opens in November, with new events updated on the CVDGO Facebook group.

“It’s a ton of problem-solving, just like any other sport,” said Isaac Gibson, a prominent community player. “(I love the) ease of access. The ability on a Tuesday afternoon after work to go to a course and play. (You get to) meet people from all different places in the community,”

Gibson said disc golfing is easy to get into too, allowing anybody curious enough to walk onto the course the simple fun of being outside and playing a game.

Visit the Chippewa Valley Disc Golf Organization's Facebook page for more information on events in the area. Visit udisc.com to find a course to play locally and elsewhere – don’t forget to grab a disc first, though!